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Review: 'Black or White' squanders chance for real insight on race

 
Elliot Anderson, (Kevin Costner, right) fights for custody of his granddaughter, Eloise (Quvenzhane-cute Jillian Estell).
Elliot Anderson, (Kevin Costner, right) fights for custody of his granddaughter, Eloise (Quvenzhane-cute Jillian Estell).
Published Jan. 29, 2015

The only thing Black or White adds to the discussion of race relations is another one-sided argument. The title suggests a choice Mike Binder's movie will make for you, stacking the deck with half the cards. Hearts and diamonds, of course.

Representing the white side is Kevin Costner, so regardless of his character's flaws, the scale tips in his favor. Costner plays Elliot Anderson, gaining sympathy from the start when his wife dies. Don't worry, she'll show up in hallucinations since Elliot is an alcoholic, but it's Costner, so he'll get it together in time.

On the black side is Oscar winner Octavia Spencer as Rowena Jeffers, paternal grandmother to 10-year-old Eloise (Quvenzhane-cute Jillian Estell), whose mother — Elliot's daughter who doesn't get flashbacks — died giving birth. Now that Elliot is a widower, Rowena believes Eloise should live with her. Sounds like a real-people problem that can be rationally settled. Just wait.

Binder fashions a much more complex path to resolving this dispute than necessary, with racial contrasts leaning toward Elliot: Costner is in nearly every scene of the movie; Spencer maybe 20 percent, mostly antagonistic. Yet Elliot's alcoholism is the only thing jeopardizing his chances to retain custody, which could be a drinking game itself; take a sip when Costner doesn't have a cocktail in his hand. Always the doting grandpa, though.

Rowena's family ranges from a race-baiting attorney Jeremiah (Anthony Mackie) to Eloise's crackhead father Reggie (Andre Holland), who regularly pops in, lying about being clean. Rowena is savvy enough to own several businesses and homes but never thinks it's a good idea to keep Reggie under wraps until the judge (Paula Newsome, channeling Hoda Kotb) decides Eloise's fate.

But then we wouldn't get the Razzies-level pleasure of Costner's courtroom soliloquy about Jeremiah playing the race card, after Binder ensures that it's done for an invalid reason, an n-word taken wildly out of context. Or a violent confrontation so clumsily staged that Tuesday's audience laughed as if it were a pie fight.

Anything to keep race on the table, but keep the feel-good finale in sight. Black or White contains all the racial insight of a Madea farce.

Contact Steve Persall at spersall@tampabay.com or (727) 893-8365. Follow @StevePersall